WHAT IS IBOGA: A Short Film About the Sacred African Root That’s a Miracle Cure For Addiction

WHAT IS IBOGA is a film by David Roma, which offers insight into the sacred African root that’s believed to be a “miracle cure” for heroin addiction.

Iboga allows for radical healing through introspective work within the deepest layers of mind, by inducing hallucinogenic trance. Considered to be the central pillar of the Bwiti spiritual practice in West African countries such as Gabon, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.

“What is special about ibogaine is that it can reverse addiction…I mean we can take an active heroin addict, an active cocaine addict, with a completely runaway addiction syndrome, and bring them into a hospital, or bring them into an apartment, or bring them into a Bwiti temple and give them ibogaine, or iboga, or iboga extract and completely reverse that addiction. So we can turn an addict into a non-addict over a two to three day period. And that is simply something that is unseen.” – Howard Lotsoff

According to Wikipedia:

“Iboga is taken in massive doses by initiates of this spiritual practice, and on a more regular basis is eaten in smaller doses in connection with rituals and tribal dances, which are usually performed at night. Bwitists have been subject to persecution by Catholicmissionaries, who to this day are thoroughly opposed to the growing spiritual practice of Bwiti. Léon M’ba, before becoming the first President of Gabon in 1960, defended the Bwiti religion and the use of iboga in French colonial courts. On June 6, 2000, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Gabon declared Tabernanthe iboga to be a national treasure. In lower doses Iboga has a stimulant effect and is used to maintain alertness while hunting.”

Iboga is not to be confused with “Ibogaine”, as the two are different medicines. According to EntheoNation:

“Iboga and ibogaine are both known for spiritual exploration, psychotherapeutic healing, rapid physical detoxification, and addiction recovery. Promising results have also appeared in the treatment of a number of other conditions including Parkinson’s disease. The two medicines share some similarities, but there are distinct differences in both content and context.”

“Iboga, the total alkaloid extract, and ibogaine each have unique pros and cons for different individuals. Ultimately, choosing iboga or choosing ibogaine will depend on the kind of experience you want. If you are are experiencing opiate addiction and withdrawal symptoms, and want addiction treatment, pure ibogaine in a clinical setting or total alkaloid extract in a traditional setting may be the best solution for you. If you want to have a deep cultural experience where you commune with the tree of life and receive guidance from your ancestors, a traditional iboga initiation in Gabon may be the best fit. A seeker may want to consult with multiple prospective providers, read online reviews, and spend some time in careful contemplation before making a decision.”

“Iboga healed me from drug addiction…I was a 20-year drug addict. I was injecting cocaine and heroin. I was on methadone. I could not stop. With one treatment of iboga, eleven years ago, I stopped my addiction to heroin, cocaine, and methadone.” – Dimitri Mugianis

Iboga (as well as ibogaine) remain Schedule 1 narcotics in the United States, but with time, understanding, education, exposure and films like “WHAT IS IBOGA” perhaps this will change. Nature’s medicine has the potential to heal, repair, and rewire hearts and minds – and with a new perspective, there’s no telling what type of evolution this medicine may allow.